Okay, so I heard about this “sE Gemini II” microphone and thought, “Let’s give this a whirl.” I’ve been looking to upgrade my recording setup, and this thing seemed pretty interesting, you know, with its dual-tube design. It’s supposed to be a large diaphragm condenser microphone, great for vocals and instruments, apparently.
Getting Started
First thing I did was unpack the box. Everything was nicely packed, the mic itself felt solid and heavy, which is a good sign, I guess. It comes with a shock mount, a power supply, and all the necessary cables. It uses regular XLR cables, So I Plugged the cable into the microphone and the power supply * power supply has a switch for on/off, so flicked that on.
The Dual-Tube Thing
Now, what makes this mic different is that it uses two tubes, not just one. Most tube mics, from what I understand, just have one. This one has a 12AX7 for the input and a 12AU7 for the output. They say it gives it a unique sound, So i needed to find out.
Setting It Up
Next, I connected the power supply to my audio interface, the one I usually use for recording. I made sure to turn on the phantom power on my interface, even though it’s a tube mic and has its own power supply. You know, you can’t forget old habits.
Recording Some Vocals
I placed the Gemini II on a mic stand and positioned the shock mount. I grabbed my pop filter, because, you know, plosives are a nightmare. I put on my headphones, set the levels on my interface, and started singing a few lines. Just testing, testing, 1, 2, 3…
Playing with Positioning
One thing I always do is experiment with the mic position. I moved it closer, farther, a little to the side… you get the idea. The sweet spot for my voice seemed to be about 6 inches away, slightly off-axis. That’s where I got the warmest sound, with the least amount of “boominess.”
Trying it on Guitar
I also wanted to see how it sounded on my acoustic guitar. So, I swapped out the vocal setup, placed the Gemini II about a foot away from the soundhole, pointing towards the 12th fret. That’s usually a good starting point for acoustic guitar.
Listening Back
After recording a few takes of both vocals and guitar, I sat back and listened. I switched between the Gemini II tracks and some older recordings I had made with my previous mic. I wanted to hear the difference, if any.
The Verdict (So Far)
Honestly, It give me a warm and rich sound on my voice. And the guitar, The sound is kind of full and detailed. So, I will give it some more time, record a few more things, and see how I feel about it after a few weeks. It’s definitely an interesting piece of gear, though!
